NYC Taxis Basically Trying to Become Yellow Ubers Now

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What would a ride in a New York City yellow cab be without that slat of bulletproof glass between riders and drivers — the one you must press your face up against to make sure the driver hears your address, or awkwardly slip your hand through to hand over a fare? Well, imagine no more. Those glass partitions may officially be headed for retirement, after the Taxi & Limousine Commission announced that cabs can remove the dividers between drivers andpassengers.

A report in the New York Post says this decision represents an attempt by the TLC to help cabbies compete with foes like Uber and Lyft. Partition-free rides, the TLC believes, will generate more tips and make riders feel more comfortable. “When there’s no partition, a driver can have a conversation with the passenger,” a TLC board member told the Post. Oh, great.

Cabbies (or, really, the medallion owners) won’t be forced to take out the partitions. And if they do, there’s a slight trade-off: They’ll have to install security cameras, though it’s unclear how much that will cost. Some cabbies are against the move either way, saying they’re still concerned about safety without that plate of glass separating them from passengers. Also, who says they want to talk to us,anyway?